U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/063,763 and 13/046,862, filed by the applicant hereof, describe a system for ephemeral messaging, whereby individuals can have conversations that “self-destruct” or disappear after a pre-determined period of time, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. As discussed in more detail therein, these messages are different from traditional electronic mail or text messaging systems, which are stored persistently.
Ephemeral messages such as those described in the above referenced patent applications are traditionally delivered over the Internet, including delivery to devices such as smartphones that also have connectivity to traditional cellular telephone networks for services such as telephone calls or Simple Message System (SMS) messages, in addition to Internet connectivity. However, unless they are built into the operating system of the device, these ephemeral message systems require both the sender and the recipient to install application software on their device in order to converse over the ephemeral message system. Installing the application can itself become problematic from a technical perspective at times when Internet connectivity is sub-optimal. Also, convincing and/or reminding a potential conversation partner to install an application before continuing a conversation can prove cumbersome or otherwise difficult, which results in the ephemeral message system not having the market penetration it might otherwise have, and causing conversation participants to use built in tools such as SMS instead, because of its universality and despite its inferiority.
Accordingly, it would be useful to permit a sender who has installed the application software for the messaging service to deliver a message via that service to the device of a user who has not done so. This would allow the ephemeral messaging system to be introduced to the new user through a sender whom they know and trust, and via a message that provides context and which they wish to read. This would also allow users who have lost or uninstalled the app to be notified of messages and present renewed incentive to reinstall the application.